Vicki...The only Queen at CanJam?

[CarlSeibert]

Bering sea? Isn't that where they do that TV show that's like a perpetual Perfect Storm?

[swt61]

Yep. I have been in 40' swells in the winter, but the summer months are quite calm usually. That and the vessel I worked on was about 300' and much more stable than a crab boat.

Here's the actual vessel I worked on, but it was not owned by American Seafoods at the time...

[spritzer]

I first thought that was a shot from any harbor in Iceland as they are filled with those beasts. Same basic design too, probably built in Norway IIRC or using the same plans.

[swt61]

I first thought that was a shot from any harbor in Iceland as they are filled with those beasts. Same basic design too, probably built in Norway IIRC or using the same plans.

That's in Seattle, probably for some repairs or refits. And yes this boat was absolutely built in Norway, and most factory trawlers do seem to have the same basic design.

[philodox]

Wow, I sure did miss a lot during my hiatus from the forums!

Congratulations Steve and Ryan!

(and anyone else I'm missing by only getting through half the thread on my phone)

Though I'm straight myself, I have some understanding of the prejudice gay kids encounter in highschool since a large number of my peers were quite convinced that I was gay when I was growing up. Lack of interest in sports and affection for the music of George Michael not withstanding, I'm convinced that it must be because I'm so damn pretty.

I did have a brief period of experimentation as a preteen, but I think that is much more common than people let on and all it did was reaffirm my love of the female form and dispell any doubts I may have had. I've got a bit of a man crush on Johnny Depp, but that's more to do with wanting to be him than be inside of him.

I'm honoured to be a part of such a welcoming community and hope you both find happiness. It's hard enough when your a straight guy in Toronto... I can only imagine what it's like being gay in Texas!

Edited March 15, 2011 by philodox

[swt61]

Actually Jason, I think the number of boys that experiment with other boys of puberty age is quite high. From the friends I had, have talked to as adults and other people as well, I'd guess the number as high as 50-75%. And I don't see why that would be a surprize to anyone. I mean you take a kid in the onslaught of puberty, with hormones raging, and he's hearing all these stories of circle jerks, blowjobs and actual penetration, and how great all of that feels. He quickly determines that the girls of his age are not where he's going to be able to experience these feelings first hand. However, many of his male friends are looking for the same experiences, and males of that age are generally more likely to view casual sexplay in a more positive light. Once it's determined that your buddy is not going to spill the beans about your fun times, it's all but a forgone conclusion. It's much more a matter of availability than preference. And why many guys feel guilty or ashamed about those experiences later is hard for me to understand. Homosexuality is about a preference for same sex partners, not about same sex opportunities, so doubting ones own sexuality, or feeling shame about youthfull playtimes just seems silly to me. I had sex with girls at those times when having sex with guys didn't present itself. I don't beat myself up over that

Oh, and I had a girl crush on Wynonna Ryder. But I didn't want to be her.

Being gay in Texas is a challenge, at least in this part of Texas. I just think of it as a time out of sorts, and that can be a good way to re-think one's priorities. I'm sure I could meet a nice guy in Texas, but then that'd be something to tie me down to Texas, and that's not a consideration for me. Luckily for me I'm in no hurry.

Oh, and be careful. Women can react badly when dating a guy prettier than them.

[philodox]

Oh, it's definitely more common than people think, and I've got no hangups from it any more. I'm quite confident in my masculinity at this point and look at it in the same light as my experimentation with drugs. Not for me any more, but an important experience that contributed to the person I've grown into in adulthood.

Thanks for the heads up on the vanity of women... maybe I should wrestle a bear or something and get some manly scars.

Edited March 16, 2011 by philodox

[Tyll Hertsens]

Oh, it's definitely more common than people think, and I've got no hangups from it any more. I'm quite confident in my masculinity at this point and look at it in the same light as my experimentation with drugs. Not for me any more, but an important experience that contributed to the person I've grown into in adulthood.

Thanks for the heads up on the vanity of women... maybe I should wrestle a bear or something and get some manly scars.

Just noting that being "masculine" doesn't necessarily effect sexual orientation. Im fairly in-touch with my feminine side, but like boinking girls.

And I reckon you get this, Jason, just pointing it out.

[philodox]

You reckon correctly buddy.

How's single life treating you?

Edited March 16, 2011 by philodox

[Tyll Hertsens]

Actooly, Im married and happy in a lovely and unusual way. We live in the same house but have separate living areas.

Best of both worlds for me and her. Quite interesting and ... Mmm ... stimulating!?

Cheers, mate, glad to see you pop in.

[philodox]

Great, glad to hear you're doing well. Hopefully I'll be around more often now. Thanks for the welcome back.

[Wmcmanus]

Actually Jason, I think the number of boys that experiment with other boys of puberty age is quite high. From the friends I had, have talked to as adults and other people as well, I'd guess the number as high as 50-75%. And I don't see why that would be a surprize to anyone.

Don't mean to quibble with a statistic that would probably be impossible to measure, but I would actually be quite surprised if it was anywhere near to that range. My guess is that at least 75% of all males of any age would be repulsed by the thought of having any sort of intimiate contact with another male. Not saying there is anything wrong with it, and I can totally appreciate that it's probably much more common than I'm aware, but not that common, at least in my estimation. Maybe 20-25% I'd believe. Of course, I grew up in the Midwest so perhaps there was an overriding sense of conservatism such that people simply didn't talk about such things. Anyway, I'm not really arguing your point, which I do think is quite valid that youthful experimentation is probably more common than many people are aware.

[jvlgato]

30-35% IIRC when I was in school way back when. Maybe it's changed since then, and of course, difficult to quantify accurately.

BTW y'all are just great and have the best attitudes about this. It's so refreshing to see this from a pretty diverse group of people around the world.

I once got fired by a female patient because I gently disagreed with her about her husband being gay. Yes, they had marital problems, yes, he had some unusual fetishes (whips, chains, spanking, cross dressing), yes these things made it difficult for her in bed with him. But he had a sexual preference for women. He is not gay. I tried to direct her to talk about improving their relationship regardless, but she was hell bent on making me say that he was gay, that she married a gay man, and that is what's ruining their marriage. I guess that was the only way she could view their problems. She finally left angrily mid-visit, incensed and amazed at my incompetence. She said she couldn't continue to see me in light of such a fundamental difference in thinking.

Edited March 16, 2011 by jvlgato

[Fitz]

Actooly, Im married and happy in a lovely and unusual way. We live in the same house but have separate living areas.

Best of both worlds for me and her. Quite interesting and ... Mmm ... stimulating!?

Great to hear!

Don't mean to quibble with a statistic that would probably be impossible to measure, but I would actually be quite surprised if it was anywhere near to that range.

Yeah, I'm with Wayne on this. I'd be kinda surprised if it was anywhere near that high. It's definitely higher than most guys would readily admit to, though, that's for sure.

BTW y'all are just great and have the best attitudes about this. It's so refreshing to see this from a pretty diverse group of people around the world.

Honestly, I wouldn't expect anything less from this group.

[Tyll Hertsens]

THE CONSENSUS APROVES.

God you're good.

[Tyll Hertsens]

[swt61]

Wayne it's been my experience that puberty aged boys are not at all repulsed by the thought of intimate contact with another male. Many tend to be scared shitless of the consequinces of their peers finding out about any said intimacy, but I can speak first hand to the willingness of almost all of my friends and acquaintances back then, as far as anonymous sex is concerned. And though most of those encounters started out with myself as the "gay" party that provided said stimulation to the "straight" party, that was a passive recipient, many of the boys I fooled around with began to join in as an active participant, without prompting. Part of that may have been the fact that they had come to realize that I did not kiss and tell, and some of that may also have been curiousity at what was almost a freakish looking endowment on a then 100 lb. kid. Either way repulsion was not something I encountered often at all, and I was quite active at that time.

I believe that repulsion is far more a learned response to societies roadblocks and squeemish ideas about same sex activities. Now I'm not at all one who believes that inside every straight man lives a gay man, like some of my brethren like to think. Far from it. I believe that we all fall somewhere along the Kinsy scale. I just believe that men like yourself that exist way over at the straight end are far more infrequent than you give credit for. It's been my experience that many straight guys that are secure in their sexuality are not repulsed by the idea of male on male intimacy. I'm not saying that they want intimacy with other males, I'm saying that the fact that they know that they don't desire intimacy with other males leaves them far less affected by such an idea. Repulsion and fear are linked together very closely IMO.

I'll use Colin and Ari as a case in point. IMO Colin and Ari both are straight men that have no desire for male on male sex. However Colin and Ari both were very comfortable hanging out with Fitz and myself, in the Castro, in a gay bar. It's my opinion that the reason they were perfectly comfortable, and showed no signs of repulsion at the somewhat intimate nature of other gay inhabitants of the bar is because they're quite comfortable with who they are. I also believe that many of the HC members that were at MOAII showed the exact same sense of ease about gay men in general.

As for the number of men willing to cross the same sex borders, you'd never believe the number of married "straight" men that make their way into gay sex clubs. And many of them act quite miffed if you show no desire in 'servicing' them. I imagine even Shelly knows exactly what I'm talking about. It just seems to be much more about availability of someone that can satisfy one's sexual desires/needs, than it is about prefernce IME. Many straight guys are more willing to cross lines to get what they want than I think you've been privvy to. IMO that doesn't necessarily make them gay, or bi for that matter, it just makes them needier than others perhaps. I have no doubt that if they could find women that would attend to their needs in a casual and secretive manner, that's where they'd be going instead.

Now please don't in any way think that I'm suggesting any kind of latent homosexuality in yourself or anyone else that feels a sense of repulsion at the thought of gay sex. I truley believe that you're probably as straight as they come. I just think that many men don't have the same uneasiness that you feel, even though I don't think that they're anymore 'gay' than you. I'm just opening up the idea that you may have been conditioned to feel more uneasy about it at some point in your life.

While it is true that some gay men seek out straight men for sexual encounters, and I can certainly understand the uneasiness or even anger that can cause, IMO it's a small percentage of the gay population that does so. Most of us prefer to have consentual sex with another male that shows the same desire/attraction for us as we do them. One way sex is rather boring and even degrading IMO. And I also find it no different than a straight guy trying to pick up a woman that is obviously less than interested. So I just don't understand where the fear stems from, but many people tend to fear those that are different from themselves.

[guzziguy]

I think that this thread is the right place for this. A long time friend of Stacy (my wife), who then became my friend too passed away yesterday at age 69 from pneumonia. Though Gary never said anything directly about it, from many of his comments Stacy and I both assumed that he was HIV positive.

He was Stacy's friend for many years before I ever met him. He was a great friend to her, especially when helping her through her bad spells. He became a good friend to me too. Stacy's heart is broken and I'm really said. We'll really miss Gary.

So please join me tonight in toasting a really good human being, Gary Parker of Bakersfield, CA. Godspeed Gary. You'll be missed by many.

Edited March 17, 2011 by guzziguy

[Torpedo]

I'm sorry Ken, my condolences.

[swt61]

Sorry to hear that Ken. It's not that often anymore that anyone actually succumbs to the disease. It's a terrible way to go, and I hope Gary is in a better place now.

[Dusty Chalk]

My condolences to you Ken, for losing a friend, and I will quaff one tonight in sympathy.

[Augsburger]

I am toasting Gary as I type. My condolences Ken.

[Fitz]

I'm sorry to hear that, Ken. This one goes out to Gary.

[manaox2]

My condolences Ken, a toast from me to Gary and also to good friends.

[Voltron]

As I said in the WAYDN thread, cheers to Gary and the hereafter. Sorry for your loss and I hope Stacy is doing alright.